Mail order sales device method

ABSTRACT

A device and method for mail order sales utilizing credit cards. The device is a paper construction having a piece of imaging paper secured thereto forming a credit card receiving pocket. The imaging paper is separable from the paper construction for mailing with the order form. The method includes the steps of inserting the credit card into the pocket with the upraised identification data on the credit card being positioned adjacent to the imaging paper. An element is then rubbed against the exterior surface of the imaging paper so as to force the interior surface of the imaging paper against the upraised identification data to transfer and store an image of the data on the imaging paper. The credit card is then removed and the imaging paper is removed from the paper construction and mailed to the seller along with the order form.

United States Patent 1191 Fischer 1 Aug. 27, 1974 MAIL ORDER SALESDEVICE METHOD 3,556,563 1/1971 Scheinberg et al. 283/7 [75] Inventor:Edward L. Fischer, Indianapolis, OTHER PUBLICATIONS Hart Publish. Co.,1948, Tricks Every Boy Can Do, [73] Assignee: The Indiana National Bank,by Todd page I diana lis, I d. U DO n Primary ExaminerCIyde I.Coughenour Flledi 1972 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Woodward, Weikart, 21Appl. No.3 315,808 Emhadt & Naughto" Related US. Application Data 57ABSTRACT [62] Division of 2343]! March 1972- A device and method formail order sales utilizing credit cards. The device is a paperconstruction having 52 U.S. c1. 101/426, 101/369, 229/68 R, a piece fimaging paper Secured thereto f i a 282/25 credit card receiving pocket.The imaging paper is [51 Int. Cl B4lm 3/00, B411 47/04 separable fromthe paper construction for maihng with [58] F1eId of Search 101/368,369; 282/25; the order form The method includes the steps f 229/68 R1 73serting the credit card into the pocket with the upraised identificationdata on the credit card being po- [56] References Cmid sitioned adjacentto the imaging paper. An element is UNITED STATES PATENTS then rubbedagainst the exterior surface of the imag- 1,435,436 11/1922 Williams101/369 g P p 50 as to force the interior Surface of the 2,693,756 1H1954 Haig et al. 101/369 aging paper against the upraisedidentification'data to 3,020,171 2/1962 Bakan et aI 101/1 X transfer andstore an image of the data on the imaging 3,061,173 10/1962 Sawdon229/73 paper. The credit card is then removed and the imagg ing paper isremoved from the paper construction and orgquls 3,261,623 7/1966Kiedrowski 282/25 named to the Seller along the order form 3,294,423 121966 Mudd 282/25 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures Pmzmwmsz m 3,831,519

CHARGE. IT SLIP 4 EASY STEPS TO "CHARGE IT I. INTO POCKET A 14- f /-'13RUB PENCIL FLAT SIDE ACROSS SHADE!) AREA ENOUGH TIMES TO READNAME,ACCDUNT HQ, GOOD THRU DATE.

3. REMOVE 4. MAIL 'ClUXRGE IT SLIP" WITH COMPLETED ORDER POCKET A f I 19v v ll 1g 12 [3 v z /%A l "f v 15 I m- Figl.

1 MAIL ORDER SALES DEVICE METHOD This is a division, of application Ser.No. 234,21 1, filed Mar. 13, 1972.

2. Description of the Prior Art:

Disclosed herein is a device and method for displaying and storing animage of the upraised identification data on a credit card onto a pieceof paper. In the U.S. Pat. No. 3,556,563, issued to R. L. Scheinberg, anapparatus and method is disclosed for imprinting a facsimile of theupraised indicia of a credit card onto a sheet of paper. In U.S. Pat.No. 2,730,457 assigned to The National Cash Register Company a paper isdisclosed which has a dry coating of marking capsules which will ruptureunder writing and marking pressures to leave a distinctively coloredmark at the points of pressure. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,516,846 assigned toMinnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company a sheet material is disclosedwhich has microcapsules filled with liquids. The microcapsules ruptureunder writing and marking pressures leaving a mark on the sheet.

When ordering an item by mail, and charging the cost thereof to thepurchasers credit card, it is desirable to provide the seller with proofof possession of the credit card. Currently, the buyer writes in on theorder form the number associatedwith the credit card along with thebuyers name and address. In the event that an erroneous number isaccidentally or intentionally entered,

' then the seller may not become aware of the erroneous number untilafter the goods are shipped to the buyer. It is therefore desirable toprovide a means for proving to the seller that the buyer has in hispossession the credit card which is identified on the order form.Disclosed herein is a device and method for transferring an image of theupraised identification data on the credit card onto a piece of paperenclosed with the order form.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One embodiment of the present inventionincludes a mail order sales device comprising a paper constructionhaving a pocket for receipt of a credit card having upraised indicia,the paper construction forming the pocket having means adjacent theindicia operable to permanently display and store an image of theindicia when rubbed by a carbonless member against the indicm. I

Another embodiment of the present invention includes a method of mailordering comprising the steps of positioning a credit card havingupraised identification data beneath a piece of carbonless imaging paperwith the upraised identification data adjacent the paper, next, rubbinga carbonless element against the paper forcing the paper against thedata transferring the image of the data to the paper, then, enclosingthe paper with a completed order form in a mailing envelope.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device forallowing mail orders with credit cards with means provided to the sellerof identifying the credit card in the possession of the buyer. I

A further object of the present invention is to provide a method ofproving the possession of a credit card in a mail order buyer.

Related objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a plan view of the deviceincorporating the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary end view of the device of FIG. Iviewed in the direction of arrows 2--2.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the device of FIG. 1 with apencil being rubbed against the outer surface of the device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS For the purposes of promotingan understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will nowbe made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawing and specificlanguage will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless beunderstood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is therebyintended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrateddevice, and such further applications of the principles of the inventionas illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to oneskilled in the art to which the invention relates.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown a mail ordersales device 10 which-is a paper construction provided with a pocket 11for the receipt of a credit card having upraised indicia. Device 10 hasa piece of self contained imaging paper 12 which is carbonless andsecured and mounted to a piece of plain paper 13. Various printedinstructions 14 are provided on paper 13.

The self containing imaging paper 12 is provided with a dry coating ofcapsules which will rupture under writing and marking pressures leavinga mark at the points of pressure. Such paper is disclosed in the U.S.Pat. No. 3,516,846 issued to Gale W. Matson and the disclosure containedtherein relating to said paper is hereby incorporated by reference.Another similar paper is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 2,730,457 issuedto Barrett K. Green and Lowell Schleicher which is also herebyincorporated by reference.

Paper 13 has a width with paper 12 extending thereacross. Paper 12 andthe plain paper 13 each-have respectively bottom edges 15 and 16 whichare aligned and secured together forming the bottom of pocket 11. Theside edge portions 17 and 18 which extendfrom shaded area 19 to eachedge of the device are secured together on either side of pocketll. Theshaded area 19 is provided on the outside surface of paper 12 so as tobe in registry with the credit card when inserted in pocket 11. Thus,the length of shaded area 19 is approximately the length of the creditcard to be inserted into the pocket. The top portion 20 of device 10 isseparated from the bottom portion 21 of device 10 by a perforatedtearable line 22. The imaging paper as well as bottom portion 21 maytherefore be-separated from the top portion 20 by tearing along line 22.The imaging paper is operable to permanently display and store an imageof the upraised indicia of the credit card when the imaging paper isrubbed by an element against the indicia.

Referring to FIG. 3, a credit card 23 is shown positioned within pocket1 l which is formed between paper 13 and paper 12. Credit card 23 ispositioned within pocket 11 so that the upraisedidentification data onthe credit card is immediately adjacent the interior surface of paper12. The credit card is therefore beneath paper 12 and on top of paper13. The positioning of the credit card into pocket 1 1 includes the stepof not only positioning the credit card beneath the imaging paper butalso the step of inserting the credit card into a pocket formed by thepiece of paper 12 which is secured to paper 13. The method of mailordering next includes the step of rubbing an element, such as a pencil24, against the paper so as to force the paper against the upraisedidentification data of the credit card thereby transferring a permanentimage of the upraised identification data to the paper. One of the flatlongitudinally extending carbonless sides 25 of pencil 24 is rubbedagainst the outer surface of paper 12 forcing the inner surface of paper12 against the upraised identification data. Any type of carbonlessmember may be used to rub the imaging paper against the credit card inorder to have the imaging paper display the upraised credit card data.Credit card 23 is then removed from the pocket and paper 12 is removedfrom the paper construction by tearing along line 22. Paper 12 alongwith a completed order form are then enclosed in a mailing envelope andthe envelope is mailed to the seller. A variety of means may be used tosecure papers 12 and 13 together. For example, staples or adhesives maybe used to secure the papers together.

The shaded area 19 of the carbonless paper guides insertion of the cardinto the pocket. The flat surface of pencil 24 which is used to rubpaper 12 against the upraised indicia of the credit card is bothcarbonless and ink free.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in thedrawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered asillustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood thatonly the preferred embodiments have been shown and described and thatall changes and modifications that come within the spirit of theinvention are desired to be protected.

The invention claimed is: 1. A method of recording and storing an imageof credit card data comprising the steps of:

providing a paper constructed pocket formed with a plain paper backingand a top of pressure sensitive paper having a dry coating of pressurerupturable capsules on said pressure sensitive paper; providing guidingand positioning means on said pocket; positioning a credit card withinsaid pocket using said guiding and positioning means with upraisedidentification indicia of said credit card being adjacent and in contactwith said pressure sensitive paper and on top of said plain paperbacking; rubbing the fiat longitudinally extending side of a pencilagainst the outer surface of said piece of pressure sensitive paperforcing the inner surface of said pressure sensitive paper against saidupraised indicia rupturing said capsules and transferring the image ofsaid indicia to said pressure sensitive paper; enclosing said pressuresensitive paper with a completed order form in a mailing envelope. 2.The method of claim 1 and further comprising the steps of:

removing said credit card subsequent to said rubbing step; removing saidpressure sensitive paper from at least a portion of said paper backingsubsequent to said removing of said credit card.

1. A method of recording and storing an image of credit card datacomprising the steps of: providing a paper constructed pocket formedwith a plain paper backing and a top of pressure sensitive paper havinga dry coating of pressure rupturable capsules on said pressure sensitivepaper; providing guiding and positioning means on said pocket;positioning a credit card within said pocket using said guiding andpositioning means with upraised identification indicia of said creditcard being adjacent and in contact with said pressure sensitive paperand on top of said plain paper backing; rubbing the flat longitudinallyextending side of a pencil against the outer surface of said piece ofpressure sensitive paper forcing the inner surface of said pressuresensitive paper against said upraised indicia rupturing said capsulesand transferring the image of said indicia to said pressure sensitivepaper; enclosing said pressure sensitive paper with a completed orderform in a mailing envelope.
 2. The method of claim 1 and furthercomprising the steps of: removing said credit card subsequent to saidrubbing step; removing said pressure sensitive paper from at least aportion of said paper backing subsequent to said removing of said creditcard.